


Prince of the Ponds

by FungusWitch



Category: Bleach
Genre: F/M, Mischievous!Jushiro, Reader-Insert, Water God!Jushiro, mythical AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-25
Updated: 2018-02-12
Packaged: 2019-03-09 08:17:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13477437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FungusWitch/pseuds/FungusWitch
Summary: Jushiro is a god of storm and water, and you're a charming village girl who plays music by his lakes. Splashy-fun ensues.





	1. Chapter One

_'Don’t spend too much time in the forest, or a god might take a liking to you.’_

_‘If you keep singing out there, one day you won’t come back.’_

_‘Have you seen him yet? The Prince of the Ponds?’_

_‘The Lord of the Lakes doesn’t take kindly to anyone who defiles his waters. Tread carefully, girl.’_

The warnings of the village elders faded into nothingness the deeper you walked into the trees, which grew wider, further apart. Sunlight fell in shards through the canopy. The air itself seemed green. The press of everyday matters evaporated from your mind, leaving nothing but light, music, and a well-remembered path to tread. The metal shell-drum was a reassuring weight on your back as your walked. Sometimes the forest felt like a world apart from the village.

You trailed your hands over the knuckled trunks of the oldest trees you passed, like greeting old friends. It left your scent on the forest. It was advice you’d received from a passing wisewoman; the wolves didn’t like surprises. If you marked your passage, they’d leave you be.

It was late morning by the time you saw a glimmer between the trees. Your mouth curved up. The lakes. You passed through the last ranks of trees to the water’s edge. The sun turned the lakes into a thousand-faceted aquamarine. The glittering surface stretched away into the distance, until the opposite shore was just a streak of green. The waters were calm, crystalline.

Secret green islands dotted the lakes, crowded thickly with trees. In the centre, on the largest, a jade-tiled roof spire poked through the trees.

No-one knew what it was. No-one dared go and find out.

The water closest to the trees was a deep, lush green, shadowed by overhanging branches and dappled with sunlight. You took off your sandals and tabi, tucking them in the pocket of your robes. You hiked up your hem as you ducked under some low-hanging boughs.

Your feet sunk into the water. It was cool, soothing. You walked along the underwater roots, heading for a particularly gnarled tree that made the perfect seat to sit and practice your music. It bent low in a curve, its trunk worn almost smooth. You perched your drum on the natural bench, then hauled yourself up. Only your toes skimmed over the water’s placid surface. You placed the drum on your knees. It was shaped like a turtle shell. Hollow, but with rings embossed into the metal for different tones.

And you played.

For hours, your voice carried over the lake, through the trees. A rich, sweet throb of a voice, carried on the hollow, ethereal tones of the shell-drum. You played until the sun was directly overhead, burnishing the lakes. The surface around your feet churned with the slow-moving, slippery bodies of koi who came to investigate the toes dangling in their lake, and stayed for the music.

You tried not to pay them any mind. As long as you didn’t harm them, the stories went, you wouldn’t bring down the wrath of the Prince of the Ponds. Besides, if fish liked music, who were you to judge.

When you stopped, your throat was dry, and despite the shade, your neck prickled from the heat. The koi drifted away when there was no longer the spell of the song to hold them. You watched them skim through the water with envy. It looked so inviting, shading from pale jade to deepest blues and greens. Cool. Clean.

Swimming wasn’t technically forbidden, but everyone advised against it.  _Bad luck falls on those who sully the Prince’s waters_. But you had been visiting here for months, had stepped barefoot into the water every time. You’d never seen a hint of the Prince, never seen so much as an errant wave or a stormcloud to disturb the surface. Surely he wouldn’t mind one woman taking a quick dip to cool off?

You trailed your toes through the water, as though testing it for a sudden hand to grab you and pull you under. Nothing, save a stray koi nibbling at your foot. You laughed and pulled the foot up. The koi darted away, fins flickering.

The lakes were a beautiful place. Serene.

You made your decision. You tucked the drum into the fork of two branches, and got to your feet on the bench. You cast a glance around, then laughed.  _How foolish_. There was no-one here to see you, except the koi. You doubted they cared whether you were naked or clothed. You peeled off your layers of robes, blue and grey and white, and folded them on top of the drum. You hesitated before slipping off your undergarments. Alone or not, disrobing in the open felt unnatural. You untied your hair, shook it free.

You stood on the edge of the trunk, peering into the depths. Beyond the lattice of tree roots, the water stretched into unknowable green depths. You were a strong swimmer, but only a fool jumped into unknown waters. Especially those belonging to a god.

You slid down until your ankles were submerged. ‘I hope you don’t mind, Prince,’ you said softly. Perhaps he could hear you. ‘I don’t bring anything that could poison your lakes.’

You let go.

The water folded you eagerly into its embrace. The world turned a brilliant shade of blue as you sank into the cool depths. Your feet didn’t touch the bottom, no matter how far you went down. You kicked your legs, twin flashes in the water, and surged to the surface, breaking through. You laughed, treading water, and pushed wet hair out of your eyes.

The water was just as refreshing as it looked, feeling almost like silk against your skin. Something heavy bumped against your calf. You looked down. The koi were back, skimming around your legs in mottled flashes of orange-white-black, investigating this strange new creature in their midst.

‘Don’t tell your Prince I’m here, okay?’ you muttered to them.

Who knew what he’d make of a naked woman in his lake?

* * *

Jushiro smiled, his eyes darkening. Most of those who came to his lakes were the elderly or sick, believing the tales of the healing water and the benevolent god they belonged to. They came, prayed, and carefully took a small cup or vial of the water back to whatever village they came from.

Until you. He’d first heard you months ago. Music was a rare sound by the water, especially music that was so sweet and distant, like the sound of dreaming. He’d been alerted by the excited gathering of the koi. He’d followed them to the very shore, hanging back so you didn’t see him below the surface. And watched.

Every few days you reappeared with your metal drum or your shamisen. Feet in the water. Lovely.

His breath had caught when you stood up and began disrobing. Smooth skin, soft curves, a lovely face. And then you were slipping into the water, into  _his_ water, with a muttered apology.  _Mind_? Did he mind a beautiful naked woman swimming in his lake?

‘I don’t mind at all,’ he murmured, quietly so it wouldn’t carry through the water to you. He was in the depths, but that never mattered. He could see as clear as day. He could hear you laugh as the koi streamed around you, wanting to investigate, to play. He called them off with a mere thought. ‘Give her some space.’

You sank below the surface to see where your friends had gone, and he finally got a clear look at your face. Pretty eyes, and a soft mouth, made for smiling, made for kissing. How easy it would be to flow toward you, catch you up in the current, in his arms, and kiss that mouth. He could kiss you underwater for an hour and you wouldn’t drown. Not in his arms.

He held himself back, swallowing. Your hair was a cloud around you, following you as you swam in lazy circles, chasing the koi that skittered out of your path. The tips of your breasts were hard, pebbled from the cool water. He wanted to take them into his mouth. He wanted to skim his hands up the insides of your thighs and taste the pearl hidden there. He wanted to hear that sweet voice crying out in pleasure as well as in song.

The water around them warmed with his growing desire. Jushiro wasn’t like some of the other gods. He wasn’t offered brides in tribute, nor did he demand anything from the local villages. He gave freely, so long as nobody disturbed his koi or polluted the water. He couldn’t bring himself to  _take_  from this woman, not when you so freely gave of your music.

But he could certainly  _give_.

The water was his domain. His to control.

His eyes hooded. He banished the koi to the other end of this particular pond.

You noticed their sudden absence, ducking under the surface to peer around. You frowned, looking behind you as though for sudden danger. Hidden below, he waited until you went back up for air. The warm current slipped between your legs, smooth as silk. You startled, legs kicking you away from it. Too bad. He followed you with it, swirling it around your legs, lapping at your inner thighs like a thousand tiny tongues.

Phantom, watery hands stroked up your back, sifting through your hair.

 _Relax, my dear_.  _Let me please you._

‘What…what’s happening?’ He’d pushed you back to the surface, so you wouldn’t inhale water, and your breathy voice carried down to him. Jushiro ran his eyes down your body, his hands flexing with the urge to touch. No, that would be crossing a line. Instead, he urged that ribbon of water between your thighs higher, until it met the heated pink flesh of your slit. ‘ _Oh_ , what…’

The water caressed the small bud of your clit in lazy licking motions. Your back stiffened and you stopped treading water. That was fine; he had you. The water buoyed you up, keeping you in a sunlit patch for his viewing pleasure. He watched the trembling of your legs, how your hips rocked into the touch. He swept invisible hands of water over your hips, your stomach, up your sides. Massaging you until you relaxed, the only part of you above the water was your head. Everything else was his to explore.

His dark-eyed gaze zeroed in on your nipples. He wanted to wrap his mouth around them and suck them, until you arched your back. He sent eddies of water to brush up against them, to wrap around them and harden them further.

A moan from the surface.

He closed his eyes in bliss at the sound.

‘Please…who’s doing this?’ 

 _Don’t worry about that, little songbird. Just enjoy it_.

He sent a trail of watery kisses up your spine, and turned the tongue at your clit into a softly-sucking mouth. Your queries cut off with a whine of pleasure, and you writhed in the water. Jushiro groaned, watching you. What would it be like to have you underneath him on a bed of softest silk while he took you again and again, gentle but relentless.

He hadn’t had a lover in the longest time, and here was the prettiest woman he’d seen in eons, slipping into his pond. He just wanted a taste.

In response to his thoughts, the water at your clit suckled hungrily, then flattened into a tongue that explored every fold. Jushiro’s hands clenched as your flavour blossomed over his tongue. Creamy-sweet. Your legs kicked, but you weren’t moving anywhere. He floated closer, reaching out. His fingers didn’t quite touch you, but the water did. It moved in a sensuous tickle up you back, around your ribs, up between your breasts to your throat. He bit his lip. The water covered your neck in ghostly, invisible kisses.

Your panting breath and soft mewls were almost as melodic as your singing. You quivered, your head tilting back. Your hips rocked into the current, your toes curling. Your skin was flushed darker, both from the heat of the water and the mounting pleasure.

He watched you hungrily, noting every detail about how you arched and writhed in the build-up to your climax. How your hands reached out as though to clasp someone to you, how your breasts rose and fell with each panting breath, the tip of each still being licked and stroked. How your moans grew higher and your voice broke.

You were close, tormented by the gentle passion, the attention to every erogenous zone.

He smiled, satisfied.

The water at your core became a hungry, greedy mouth sucking your clit, and licking, kissing, stroking eddies over your nipples and neck.

A passionate moan echoed over the surface of the lake, the vibrations of it carrying through the water to Jushiro’s ears. He watched you with awe. Your body stiffened and shivered, your legs twitching, your toes curled tight into the soles of your feet.

 _Beautiful_.

A whimper.

He blinked, banishing all the teasing currents with a mere thought. Your body sagged, and you began to sink. Your eyes were closed, your lips parted. Bubbles streamed from your mouth and nose.

He moved, rising to catch you falling body in his arms. You didn’t seem to notice, sagging against him. He carried you back up to the surface, relishing the weight and warmth of you against him. He moved fast, bearing you through the water back to the tree where you belongings lay. He rose until he was only waist-deep, breathing air as easily as water, and laid your soaked, shuddering body on the natural bench. You stirred.

He sank back into the water without so much as a ripple, watching you from just below the surface. You recovered quickly from your stupor, sitting up. You pushed your clinging, sodden hair back from your face, looking around with dazed eyes. You made an anxious scan of the shore, searching for the perpetrator. There was no-one here but him, and you’d only see him if he wanted you to.

 _Not yet_.

His breath hitched as you ran your hands down your body, searching for any sign of your invisible lover. He groaned, low and thrumming, when you reached between your legs. A tremor ran through your body. You pulled your hand away. He’d left no trace, save the aftershocks of pleasure and a bone-deep sense of satisfaction. You kept casting glances at the water as you rose and dressed. He mourned the sight of your skin disappearing behind folds of cloth.

He could still see you in his mind’s eye, still taste you.

Your movements were languid as you picked up your drum and set off back along the network of tree roots. He grinned, and sent playful waves to nibble at your ankles until you stepped onto the soil. You clutched your drum to your chest, giving the water one last search. Then your eyes turned heated, and you smiled, sly.

‘You naughty spirit, preying on me like that. What are you? A water nymph?’

He chuckled, the sound registering as a ripple on the surface, but said nothing. He stayed below.

‘Oh, I see how it is. Too scared to show your face because I’ll tell you off?’ You raised an eyebrow, laughed, and sketched an elaborate bow to the lake. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow, nymph.’

He only breached the surface when you were walking away, his white hair floating on the surface like pale seaweed. His brown eyes gleamed almost gold as he watched you returning to the village.

_Tomorrow, my little songbird._


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who asked for a part two! I hope it lives up to what you were all hoping for! <3

Your dreams were plagued by swirling water, the dazzling glitter of fish scales in refracted sunlight, and deep, amused male laughter. You clutched at your sheets as you slept, sweat gleaming on your skin, your body twisting and arching with the memory of what the water nymph had done.

You woke in the early hours to the chirp of larksong outside the shuttered windows, and the trickle of running water. There was no time for lying in bed, not when you had a promise to live up to. A promise that might reap the sweetest rewards. On hurried feet you washed and dressed, choosing robes of soft gauzy aquamarine, offset by a pale pink sash. Your hands trembled with excitement as you tied it off, wondering if the nymph himself would deign to undress you.

 _Perhaps he prefers to watch_.

The thought made your stomach somersault, a responding ache begin between your thighs. The nymph, whoever he was, already had you under his spell. You gathered your shell drum, wrapping it in waxed cloth to protect it from the damp. After a pause, you crossed the woven rushes-mats of your small house. Behind a pierced wooden screen rested a shrine.

You lit the incense and knelt, pressing your palms together and closing your eyes. The Prince of the Ponds was rumoured to be a vengeful god. The Elders of the village said that a storm always followed when someone was foolish enough to steal a koi, or to commit violence near the untainted waters of the lakes.

You didn’t share that view. The Prince was a merciful god, giving the gift of healing, bringing the cleansing rains. You opened your eyes, staring at the Prince’s effigy on your shrine. Each god had one, some symbol to define them. The Prince’s was a carved wooden fish, tail and fins flailing, so lifelike it looked as though it had been transformed to wood mid-leap.

 _He hasn’t punished me for swimming in his lakes, or for what the nymph did._  You blew out the incense, letting the heady smoke curl up toward the ceiling.  _I suppose he doesn’t care._

As you began to rise from the shrine, something caught your eye. On a shelf above the shrine lay your bamboo flute. You took it down, turning it over in your hands. The wood was worn smooth from your fingers, the silk tassel a brilliant saffron yellow. Smiling to yourself, you tucked it under your sash.

_Perhaps the nymph will enjoy some flute music too._

The village was already awake and bustling when you stepped outside, drum tucked under your arm. Farmers were heading out toward their fields, younger women and children stepping into the early morning sun to hang out laundry or fetch water. The hillsides around the village were sculpted into neat green terraces, gleaming with irrigated water. With a secretive smile, you turned your back on the civilised sight and hurried to the edge of the village.

‘I hope you’re not going to the forest again,’ said a stern voice.

You winced. _Caught!_ Turning, you came face-to-face with one of the village elders, her hair white and pulled back into a tight, prim bun. Her sleeves were tied back, revealing ropy sun-browned forearms. She folded them across her chest, mouth twisted down with disapproval.

‘Baa-san, I have to practice-‘

‘Then do so in the fields! The farmers might appreciate a little music, instead of you playing out where a god might snatch you away! What would that do to your poor aunt-‘

‘I’ve never seen or heard any gods while I’ve been out there all these years, Baa-san,’ you said. It wasn’t quite a lie. The nymph wasn’t a god – he was just a water spirit. ‘I need the peace and quiet to practice without being asked to play someone’s favourite bawdy song for the fifteenth time.’

Baa-san’s wrinkled mouth pursed, giving her the appearance of a gnarled old oak tree. She sniffed, disapproving, but let you pass her by without further comment. You were too old to be tied to anyone’s apron strings anymore.

You were scurrying by the time you reached the village border. The trees were young, barely saplings, but grew thicker the deeper you plunged into that green-gold twilight. The sounds of farming and livestock faded, replaced by the weight of silent, semi-sentient plant life. The occasional breeze rustled the leaves, dozens of feet overhead. The path was familiar. It was all you could do not to run.

You forced yourself to walk at a normal pace, despite how your heart raced and your body ached, heavy with the anticipation of pleasure. You were practically buzzing with suspense. _Will he show himself? Will he make me feel that good again?_

At last you saw it. The shimmer of sunlight, shattering on the water’s thousand facets. You approached with caution, fingers tight on the strap of your drum. On every other visit, you’d been so sure you were alone, playing to nothing but koi and water and trees. Now you knew - there was something, some _one_ watching. Enjoying.

‘Well, I said I’d return,’ you announced to the placid-seeming lake. ‘You cannot scare me away that easily.’

Nothing answered you but the sound of the wind in the trees. Perhaps the nymph wasn’t there yet. Perhaps he would be summoned by your music. You removed your sandals, leaving them on the loamy shore, and stepped onto the network of interwoven roots that was the only path to reach your favourite branch. The water flowed around your ankles.

It was warm.

Even on a day like today, with the sun high and the water the colour of jade, the lake should have been cool, deepening to chill at the bluer depths. You tucked your drum between two tree branches, wrapped your hand around a stout trunk and leaned out, dipping your fingers into the water. It was cold, but quickly turned warm against your skin.

You stared out at the calm lake. Whatever was in there, it was as though it was inviting you in, beckoning you. Your tongue traced your bottom lip. It was tempting to plunge right in, let the water spirit have its way with you, but that didn’t feel right. Not without giving something in exchange first. So, you made your way to the bench and perched, letting your feet dangle in the water.

Pulling the flute from your sash and raising the end to your lips, you took a deep, controlled breath and began to play. The music was piping, sweet over the soft rustlings of the trees and the quiet lapping of the lake. From high pitched whistles to low, more melodious notes, the songs drifted out through the forest.

Koi came as if summoned. They swarmed beneath your feet, bumping against your ankles. More than once a breathless giggle interrupted the music as one got adventurous and butted against your toes. For an hour or more, you played. The sun reached its zenith, and even under the shelter of the trees it became too hot to continue.

The moment you laid the flute aside, the koi fled.

A chill traced down your spine, but not of fear. There was no sign of the nymph, not even a ripple, but your skin prickled as though it sensed someone’s gaze. Trembling, with fear, excitement, or both, you got to your feet. The water swirled around your ankles, the touch caressing, teasing. Like an impatient lover waiting for you to disrobe. Who were you to disobey?  Layer by layer, you bared your skin for the lurking nymph. The pink sash and pale green robes were left on the branch, abandoned with your instruments.

You stepped to the edge of the bench, poised on the brink of tumbling into the water. Hands braced against tree trunks, stomach knotted with excitement.

‘Are you there?’ you asked, your voice pitched low.

For a moment, nothing. Then, the water around your ankles rippled. A tendril of crystal clear water lifted, flowing up your calf, curling possessively around your knee. You watched, breathless, as it traced a path over the top of your leg, slowing as it inched toward the apex of your thighs…

It fell back into the water with a splash.

Your mouth fell open, outraged. ‘You tease!’

It a lake could be amused, it was. Filling your lungs, you plunged feet-first into the water. The world turned a pale green, full of shifting shadows and shards of daylight. Bubbles streamed for your nose as you kicked for the surface. Breaking through, you swept your hair back from your face, laughing. The water was as warm as a bath, silken against your skin.

Not content to stay in the shade of the trees, you swam further out, deeper into the Prince’s territory. That was a sobering thought. _Does the Prince know I’m here? What if he stopped the nymph just now, and it wasn’t a tease?_ Baa-san’s warnings echoed in your head. The water suddenly seemed cold, even though the temperature hadn’t changed. You turned as best you could in the water, scanning the shore.

‘Forgive me, I-‘

Something stroked against your inner thigh. You jerked, kicking instinctively. It happened again. Like a finger of water gliding along your sensitive skin. The surface roiled, and suddenly you were held in the same watery bonds as before, keeping you still, keeping your face above water so you could breathe, but with your body trapped below the warm depths.

_‘Please…’_

What were you begging for? Mercy? Pleasure? Both came in the form of an invisible mouth pressing against your core, and then a tongue, licking a stripe up the centre of your sex. Your mouth opened; a gasp slipping free. Currents of water swirled around your thighs, over your stomach, stroking over your breasts and neck. You wriggled in the soft, restraining current, moaning to the sky as the invisible mouth at your clit began a soft, persistent sucking.

Whoever your water nymph was, he certainly knew how to please a woman. Your eyes slipped shut; you gave a pleased hum as you gave in to the blissful sensations, the tireless pleasure.

‘Mm, you’re talented, for such a shy spirit,’ you said, sighing. Your tone turned wistful. ‘Wish I knew what you looked like.’

Something touched your thigh.

Something definitively solid.

_A hand._

Head tilted back, you couldn’t see down into the water. Lips pressed against your right breast, giving it a chaste kiss. The surface of the water bulged, then broke, and a head rose slowly. You had a faint impression of white. Your heart slammed against the cage of your ribs, a mixture of excitement and undeniable terror. A creature of the forest. A nymph. A spirit. Baa-san’s warnings had all gone to waste. You had no way of knowing this creature’s intentions. There was no way to escape now if they were less than benevolent.

The sensations between your thighs did not slow or stop. It was hard to catch your breath, caught between powerless fear and undeniable pleasure.

‘ _Please_ ,’ you whispered, ‘don’t hurt me.’

‘Hurt you?’ The voice was deep, but gentle. The tone was one of surprise. The current shifted you until you were upright, face-to-face with your water nymph. Your breath caught in your throat. He smiled. ‘Why on earth would I hurt you?’

He looked like an ordinary, if incredibly handsome, man. Long white hair framed his face, ends splaying on the surface of the water like pale weeds. His features walked a fine edge between refined and pretty, his eyes deep brown, ringed and flecked with gold. A sensation of great age and great power radiated from him, like a heat haze on a midsummer’s day.

The nymph’s hands skimmed up your sides, fingertips brushing the sides of your breasts, your neck, before he cupped your face in his hands. He moved closer, the water neither seeming to hold nor impede him. He frowned, considering you. His thumb brushed over your parted lips.

Your breath stuttered.

‘You’re even lovelier up close,’ he said, his voice gaining a purr. The water against your clit doubled its actions, sending a bolt of heat straight up your spine. Your cheeks flooded with heat, you moaned. The nymph smiled, pleased by your reaction. ‘Such a sweet sound. Will you tell me your name?’

You gave it, breathless.

He repeated it, the sound of his voice seeming to ripple through the water, through you.

It was impossible to concentrate, to focus on the proper respect one should show a nature spirit, but you managed to speak. ‘How…how may I address you, nymph?’

The nymph bent his head close to yours, his smile turning mischievous. ‘You already know my title, but you may address me as “Jushiro”.’

‘Your…title?’

Several realisations crashed together at once. His control over the water. His ancient aura. His _title_.

Your eyes opened wide.

‘The _Prince_ ,’ you said, choked-

-just before his lips sealed over yours. It was a light, testing kiss, only his fingertips resting against your face. His mouth explored yours, his hands tilting your head to a preferred angle. Little waves rocked against you, touching every sweet spot you possessed. You were utterly in his power, weak with pleasure.

You were kissing a _god_.

Only when you mewled did he let you go, his eyes darker than before. He remained close, his fingers stroking against your face, your throat, as though he could not bring himself to stop touching you. The Prince seemed fascinated with your mouth; his thumb kept brushing across it, as though testing the plumpness of your bottom lip. His hands were long-fingered, elegant, skin smooth and unwrinkled from the water. He wore robes of green and gold, the ends of his sleeves like fins, glimmering and translucent.

‘Lord Prince…’ you began, wondering how to finish. _Should I apologise, or thank him?_

‘I gave you leave to call me Jushiro,’ he corrected you, seeming amused.

‘Ju-Jushiro…I-’ you tried again.

‘Yes, that’s it.’

Another kiss.

This time his arms wrapped around your waist, pulling your naked body tight against him. The teasing streams of water finally abated, leaving you shaking in his arms. The kiss itself was deeper. A frisson of warmth spread through your body from your lips, as though the touch of god stirred a fever inside you, heating your bloodstream. Gingerly, you wrapped your arms around the god’s neck. Around the Prince -no, _Jushiro’s_ \- neck.

The kiss broke.

The god smiled, gentle and ancient and beautiful.

The world fell away.

Water surrounded you, above and below. You were moving, faster than any fish or human swimmer could have. This deep, the water was an endless, endless blue. You expected your lungs to burn, your eyes and nose to sting. Nothing. You felt no urge to breathe or to panic, nor even to close your eyes. The water could not harm you.

A koi the size of a boat swam past, its whiskers trailing in the water like hair, its fins like great, gauzy veils. More followed it, their colours muted in the deep. The koi that listened to you play seemed like mere specks in comparison. With nothing to hunt them, and endless room to swim, they could become giants.

A moment later, you broke through the surface of the water. You took a reflexive gasp, though you weren’t even short of breath. The water seemed to move around you, rather than you through it. You were in a secluded pool, ringed by high walls of rock. Trees clung to the rockfaces by their roots, branches stretching out fearlessly to catch the sun. Waterfalls ran between the twisted roots, plunging into the pool, whose waters were a deep shade of teal.

‘Do you like it?’

That deep voice by your ear startled you. You turned your head. The god wore an indulgent smile. His hand came up to cup your cheek, turning you fully to face him. _I’m naked_ , you realised, but it didn’t seem to matter. Not with his gaze full of admiration, and his arm around your waist.

‘It’s beautiful, but where are we?’

 _Why has he spirited me away, and what does he intend to do with me?_ Somehow, the fear wouldn’t come. Baa-san would be horrified.

‘Somewhere more private.’ He bent his head; a kiss pressed against the side of your neck. ‘It’s been so long since I spoke to a mortal.’ Hands skimmed over your hips, squeezing your waist. ‘One so beautiful.’ That warm current returned, stroking between your thighs as though it had never left. ‘And so talented.’

_‘Jushiro…’_

Using his name seemed to galvanise him. The Prince tightened his hold. A moment later, your back met something soft, but firm. The bank, covered in soft moss and flowers. Your body was still half-submerged in the lapping water, the god leaning over you on his elbows. Strands of white hair curtained down, dry save where they floated at the ends. He leaned down, nose brushing yours, eyes dark.

‘I watched you yesterday.’ He’d been there below the water, watching you twist and arch in pleasure. His voice held a hungry edge. ‘I wanted to thank you for playing for me, for visiting me, but all it did was make me eager to show you my _personal_ gratitude.’

Your toes curled. The Prince of the Ponds wanted you, wanted to make love to you. The thought should have filled you with mortal terror, sent you begging and pleading to be released. Gods were nothing like mortals. They had their own morals, their own sense of justice. He might decide to keep you forever, or kill you once he was done, or-

‘Songbird.’

‘Huh?’

‘I wish only to give you pleasure. After, I’ll return you to your belongings and you may go freely.’ A teasing gleam in his eyes. ‘As long as you promise to return.’

‘Prince...’ Your heart raced in your chest, a coil of excitement winding tight in your belly. He stroked the side of your face with the backs of his fingers; your eyelids fluttered. ‘What will you do, if I say no?’

 _I have to know._ You waited for his expression to darken, for the thunder and stormclouds to roll in. 

Nothing.

An amused huff; Jushiro’s eyebrows rose. ‘Hmm? I’ll take you back to the shore, of course. You have nothing to fear from me, sweet.’

You licked your lips, mouth suddenly dry. Considering. The opportunity to take a god for a lover, the pleasures would await you. Your lips formed the word, silent, at first, then aloud, firm:

‘ _Yes.’_

Jushiro’s mouth curved into a smile, his eyes darkening. The atmosphere changed,  _heated_. The water moved as if it had a mind of its own, sliding over your skin like the touch of a lover, swirling across your stomach, streaming over your breasts. The god kissed you, deep and firm, pinning you deliciously against the mossy bank. His fingers wound into your hair, his lips exploring yours with an eagerness and skill that had you seeing stars.

A moment of hesitation, your hands half-raised. Did you dare touch a god? You sank your hands into his hair. A pleased hum vibrated against your lips. The white strands were like cool, heavy silk between your fingers. 

He shifted over you, his body pressing against yours. You could feel the ridges of firm, sculpted muscle through his silk robes. He was heavy, all long limbs. He shifted his weight, freeing one hand to run down the side of your body, curling around the back of your thigh and hitching it over his hip, spreading you wider.

It seemed as though a dozen hands were touching you at once, caressing you everywhere, all guided by Jushiro’s will. Water lapped and trickled as he bent all his power toward pleasing you. He kissed you deeper. The re-appearance of that invisible mouth lapping at your folds elicited a gasp from you. His tongue slid into your mouth, tasting you. A groan from the god. The water at your clit began to suck, hungry and heedless of the way you jerked in surprise.

He broke away to press his lips to your neck. Watery mouths formed a matching trail of kisses down the opposite side of your throat. A languid sensation took hold of your body, a wonderful helplessness – pinned by the god, buoyed by the water, there was nothing to do but give in to it.

He sat back on his haunches, a look of concentration on his handsome face. Deliberating where to begin. You were laid out like a feast of options, even as an insistent, burning pleasure pulsed between your thighs. You twitched at a particularly hard suck, biting your lip. He smoothed a hand over your chest, felt the rapid rise and fall of your breath, the pounding of your heart.

‘So beautiful,’ he said, caressing the side of your cheek. At that moment, water swirled over your breasts, over your hard, pebbled nipples. A moan slipped free. Jushiro’s fingertips circled one of the aching tips, brushing over, tugging ever so slightly. ‘So responsive.’

‘You _are_ a god,’ you reminded him, voice strained, breathless. ‘No mortal man could… _hnn!_ ’

You climaxed with a shudder, hips bucking uselessly against the tireless phantom mouths. Jushiro covered you again, his lips by your ear.

‘I would give you as much pleasure as you can handle,’ he murmured. ‘Hours, days, if it would not wear out your mortal body.’ He kissed the hollow just beneath your ear. ‘I do not tire, I need no rest, so long as I am in my lakes.’ His teeth scraped delicately against your earlobe. ‘I’d make love to you endlessly.’

‘Please, I need…’ You reached for the front of his robes, fingers curling into the silks. Far softer than any human hand could ever produce. His aura felt like a physical thing, tingling against your skin. Every touch of his left little supernovas in its wake. No man would ever do for you, not after a god. ‘I need you.’

A soft groan. ‘There is nothing I want more.’

His robes fell away in a shower of golden scales, turning to water and dissipating once they hit the surface. He insinuated himself between your thighs, spreading your legs apart. His length pressed against your thigh, hard and hot. He was broad-shouldered, lean-muscled, all sleek strength. Fitting for a water god. Kisses. He lined himself up with you, hissing slightly as he felt the sheer heat of you.

You were already so slick from his attentions that he slid an inch inside almost by accident. His hands clenched on the moss, teeth scoring across his lower lip. The water god did not often take lovers. Especially not one as exquisite as the one currently lying beneath him, staring up at him with big, pleasure-glazed eyes. He was drawn inexorably back to your mouth, nipping and kissing those soft lips with eagerness. He could feel every little gasp and whimper you made, the satisfied groan that left your lips as he filled you up, inch by slow inch, until his hips lie snug against yours.

As excited as you were, he was still a stretch. You gripped his shoulders, wriggling to adjust to the invasion. As though he could read your mind, that infernal, invisible current of water reappeared, settling right over your clit, like a slow, dragging tongue. Similar streams of water caressed your nipples. The god kissed you, soft and slow, buried to the hilt inside you, until the stimulation had you bucking and wriggling too much for him to ignore.

‘So restless,’ he teased, winding a lock of your hair around his fingers. ‘Very well, I cannot deny you.’

His hips flowed back, smooth as a river current, and then forward. Your nerves lit up like sparks where he dragged over them. Jushiro leaned down, his forehead resting against yours. You were pinned between the bank and his body, thighs spread open and wrapped around his waist. The water was ceaseless. You were utterly helpless, totally overwhelmed.

You clung to him, shaking and moaning.

He chuckled, the sound heavy, husky. ‘I like this song of yours, too.’

Kisses followed. A never-ending stream of kisses as he sought to test every which way his lips could fit against yours. Kisses that swallowed up your mewls and gasps and every helpless little noise of pleasure.

His pace never faltered, smooth even as it sped up until you were writhing underneath him, or slowed until your fingernails dug into the firm flesh of his back, your body shuddering with the need for release. He had not been lying. He was tireless.

‘ _Jushiro_ …’

The Prince rewarded your use of his name with a particularly fluid roll of his hips. Invisible mouths sucked at your breasts and the bundle of nerves at your core. Your legs squeezed around his waist, fingers tangling tight in his lush hair. He groaned as your inner walls tightened and fluttered around him.

And then he was moving again, rocking into you with a gentle, inexorable roll of his hips. Water splashed as he put more and more of his element to the task of driving you to ecstasy. Warm, invisible currents kneaded your back and thighs, circled your neck and arms. His hand slipped underneath your head, lifting it clear of the water so he could kiss you. His lips pressed against yours, pressed yours open, tongue sliding in to stroke against yours. No part of you was left untouched, no inch of skin untended.

Pleasure twisted hot and tight, deep in the pit of your stomach. A fire fed by every tingling nerve in your body. Your back arched, a keening moan leaving your throat. It echoed through the rock-walled pool, mixing with the hiss of the waterfalls and the distant sound of birdsong.

‘That’s it, my sweet.’ Even the Prince’s voice was strained, his cheeks flushed with colour, with pleasure. His smile was as gentle as ever, for all that his eyes were dark and heated. ‘Let me hear you, see you.’ A low grunt as your body tightened on his shaft, snug and slick. His head drooped down, a shudder running down his back. It had been so long since he’d taken a lover, and you were so responsive, so lovely. ‘ _Hn_ , and _feel_ you…’

Waves rocked into you, rippling over your body. It was hard to form coherent thoughts, let alone words. You were approaching your limit, your body flushed, trembling. Your clit tingled and burned, your mouth felt swollen from kisses, your legs locked so tight you could hardly feel them.

No sweat beaded the god’s brow. He could keep going, and going, until the stars fell out of the sky. He dusted kisses along your jaw.

‘One more, for me, little songbird,’ he said, encouraging. ‘Just one more.’

As though that was the breaking point, the tension built inside your broke like a dam. You He rode you through the climax, prolonging it until you thought your body would melt. Only when you were boneless, eyes slipping shut, trembling faintly with the aftershocks, did he allow himself release. Face buried against your throat, he gave a low groan, emptying himself inside you in a rush of heat. A soft kiss pressed against your mouth, careful of your sore lips. He eased himself free of your body.

Water bubbled up to buoy you, warm and soothing against your aching muscles. The god gathered you close. He was wearing robes again, blue and gold, formed from thought and water. Your head lolled onto his shoulder; the silk was cool against your cheek. Your last coherent thought was of him running the back of his finger over your cheek, voice a deep, pleased hum.

‘Promise me. Promise me you’ll come back tomorrow.’

* * *

Red sunlight seared the insides of your eyelids. You opened your eyes, blinking. Your mind was slow, lazy. Had you fallen asleep in the sunlight? Your body ached like after day of running or dancing, a slow throbbing between your thighs that was not unpleasant.

Sitting up slow, you found yourself on the branch-bench on the shore of the lake. Your robes tumbled to your lap. Someone had draped them over you like a blanket. Something clicked together. There was a cool weight on your chest. You stopped rubbing your eyes and glanced down.

A heavy necklace hung from your neck. Three strands of pearls, all different shades from cream to gold to pink, and three strands of jade, palest white to deepest green. It lacked the rigid perfection of a noblewoman’s jewellery, the beads too varying in size, ridged and imperfect, flawed and shot through with veins of colour. It was far more beautiful. You touched it. The strands were cool, smooth against your fingers. A decoration fit for a goddess.

_The Prince._

Alarm rang through you. Where was he? The lake was calm, reflecting the sinking sun. The air grew chill. You had to leave now, if you wanted to be back in the village by dark. You dressed slowly, body heavy and slow from an afternoon of pleasure. The beads clicked rhythmically as you moved and you found your hand reaching up to clasp them more than once.

A gift? They could only be from him. Who else would have such a variety of pearls at their disposal?

You collected your drum and your flute and picked your way back along the roots to solid ground. Your sandals were just where you’d left them. You smiled at the placid water. _He’s out there, watching. Making sure I go safely._

‘Until tomorrow, Jushiro.’

The wind rustled through the trees, and you could almost hear his reply.

_Until tomorrow._


End file.
